The school asked him to teach a series of field seminars in the Southwest.
[2] Adair joined the Cornell-Navajo Field Health Research Project at Many Farms, located on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, working there as chief anthropologist from 1953 to 1960.
[1] Adair worked with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 1961 to 1964.
At the conclusion of his work in the NIMH, he became Professor of Anthropology at San Francisco State University, where he remained until his retirement in 1978.
[1] He is also known for the 1972 book, Through Navajo Eyes: An Exploration in Film Communication and Anthropology, which he co-authored with Sol Worth.